In addition, the Khartoum Process is anchored in the EU-Africa Action Plan on Migration and Mobility 2014-2017 and builds upon the African Union Horn of Africa Initiative (AU-HOAI) on human trafficking and smuggling of migrants launched by ‘core countries’ - Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan - in 2014, in Khartoum, Sudan, and endorsed by the African Union in June 2015.

The strategic framework

The Rome Declaration, adopted on 28 November 2014, establishes the groundwork for the Khartoum Process.

Main focus of the dialogue: tackling human trafficking and people smuggling

Priorities of the Dialogue are set as follows:

Developing cooperation at bilateral and regional level between countries of origin, transit and destination to tackle irregular migration and criminal networks

Assisting in improving national capacity building in the field of migration management

Assisting national authorities in stepping up prevention measures with special regards to trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants

Establishing national strategies to strengthen horizontal coordination among all services involved, including ensuring protection to refugees and asylum seekers and assistance to migrants in vulnerable situations

Assisting in improving identification and prosecution of criminal networks

Improving or, where appropriate, establishing criminal law frameworks and fostering – where applicable – the ratification and the proper implementation of the Protocols against Smuggling of Migrants and Human Trafficking, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (Palermo Convention)

Promoting a victim-centered approach

Promoting sustainable development in countries of origin and transit in order to address the root causes of irregular migration

Developing a regional framework for return, including voluntary, and reintegration, in the full respect of human rights, while strengthening the national capacities in these fields

Assisting participating countries in establishing and managing reception centres, providing access to asylum processes, in line with international law.

For more information on the European Commission’s approach to anti-trafficking please click here.